Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2132264
GOLF PRACTICE APPARATUS
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a golf practice apparatus, and in particular, a
plafform and practice surface for use in practising golf shots.
Background of the Invention
Golfers find it desirable to practise their strokes and shots. Generally
such practise takes place at a driving range. The practice surface at a driving range
is generally flat ànd does not resemble the variety of terrains and conditions
encountered during play.
It is desirable that a practice surface simulate actual conditions which
may be encountered during play, such as up hill, down hill and side hill shots. It is
further desirable that the golfer can practise both his stroke and stance in the up hill,
down hill or side hill position in any simulated shot. The practice surface should be
adaptable to simulate various shots without moving heavy equipment or changing
locations.
It is also desirable that other golf conditions be simulated, such as sand
trap, variations in grass and variations in tee height.
To facilitate practise, it is desirable that a golf shot simulator be very
easy to use, safe and very versatile.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides a golf shot simulator which is easy to
use, includes many safety features and is very versatile. Various golf game
conditions can be simulated by use of the present invention.
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In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a golf practice mat comprising:
a mat having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom; and
a practice surface having a plurality perforations extending therethrough,
5 the mat being positioned with respect to the practice surface such that the bristles
are capable of extending through the perforations and being exposed above the
practice surface; and,
means for adjusting the bristles exposed height above the practice surface.
In accordance with another broad aspect of the present invention there0 is provided a golf practice apparatus comprising:
a practice surface for supporting a golfer,
a portion of the practice surface being perforated to accommodate a golf
practice mat comprising a mat having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom;
the mat being positioned with respect to the portion of perforated practice surface
15 such that the bristles are capable of extending through the perforations and being
exposed above the practice surface, and means for adjusting the bristles exposedheight above the practice surface; and;
a means for tilting the practice surface.
In accordance with a further broad aspect of the present invention there0 is provided a golf practice apparatus comprising:
a practice surface for supporting a golfer; and,
a means for tilting the practice surface comprising a universal joint acting
between a base portion and the practice surface, a pair of driving means acting to
drive the tilting of the plafform and a pair of double acting hydraulic cylinders to lock
25 the practice surface into tilting position.
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Description of the Invention
The invention provides a golf shot simulator in the form of a plafform
for supporting a golfer to practise shots. The plafform comprises a practice surface
for supporting the golfer, support means for the practice surface and lifting means
5 for varying the vertical elevation of the practice surface to tilt the surface from the
horizontal plane. The practice surface can tilt in all directions to allow for up-hill,
down-hill and left and right side-hill shots or a combination thereof.
The practice surface of the plafform is generally planar and of a size
to allow a golfer to take a position on the plafform. The practice surface is formed
10 of a material, such as a wood, resin or reinforced resin, to support the weight of the
golfer.
In an embodiment of the invention, the practice surface is covered in
a synthetic grass mat or rubber pad, as is known. Preferably, the practice surface
is adapted to support a tee. The tee may be in the form of a removable tee which15 fits into a mounting hole on the plafform or, alternatively, a permanently mounted
tee. There can also be provided various surfaces which simulate conditions
encountered during play. For example, sand trap conditions are provided by forming
a depressed area for containing sand or the like. Tee box, fairway and rough
conditions are provided by mats having synthetic grass of appropriate lengths. In
20 a preferred embodiment, the simulated condition surfaces are provided on the
plafform to allow for use by left and right handed golfers. Preferably, protective
covers are provided for placement over the simulated surfaces when not in use toprevent damage to the surfaces and also to prevent injury to the golfer by
inadvertent stepping on the sometimes unstable simulated surfaces.
The practice surface of the plafform is supported at a distance from the
surface on which the plafform is placed. Support is provided by any suitable support
means such as a plurality of legs or a central support and base. To prevent the
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plafform from tipping when in use, supporting means are preferably provided at or
near the outer edges of the plafform. Alternatively, large stabilizing base portions
are provided on the support means.
The plafform is capable of tilting to simulate game conditions by action
5 of lifting means. The lifting means of the plafform can act to vary the vertical
elevation of the plafform as well as to support the plafform fully or partially. In this
way, the plafform will sometimes not require separate support means. Preferably,the lifting means act to vary the vertical elevation of the practice surface
independently at separate points and thereby allow the practice surface to be tilted
10 in all directions. Lifting means include one or more of any suitable means, for
example, pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders or mechanical drives such as
those incorporating screw arrangements. An embodiment includes a pair of liftingmeans able to tilt the practice surface about a generally central pivotal support. As
will be appreciated, tilt can also be provided by other arrangements such as four
15 lifting means positioned to support the practice surface of the plafform. Preferably
the plafform is provided with means for locking the plafform into a tilted position.
The lifting means are actuated and controlled by any suitable means
which are provided on the practice surface such as, for example, mechanical
20 actuators having plafform mounted hand or foot control, or electrical actuators
having plafform mounted hand or foot control. Alternatively, a remote system is
used to control the actuators. Preferably, any such actuation means will allow the
actuation of the lifting means and adjustment of the plafform while in position on the
plafform. Preferably, a microprocessor is provided to control the operation of the
25 plafform. The microprocessor can provide control for such features as an automatic
actuation of the plafform to return to level after use, safety functions such aspreventing plafform actuation if a safety switch is not depressed and managing
additional features.
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In the preferred embodiment, the plafform is provided with side rails on
the practice surface to prevent injury by falling. In addition, the outer edges of the
practice surface are formed to have a warning effect. For example, a border of
different material or raised portions that will indicate to the golfer that the edge of the
5 plafform has been reached. The outer edges of the plafform can also be formed to
accommodate structural features of the plafform such as ball storage units.
To prevent injury by catching equipment or clothing in the moving parts
around the lifting means, the plafform is preferably provided with a protective
covering which extends down from the practice surface to the supporting surface on
10 which the plafform is placed. Preferably, this covering is formed in a pleated
arrangement to accommodate the changes in the vertical elevation of the plafform.
In addition, preferably side shields are provided on the plafform to prevent sideways
deflection of balls. Side shields can be permanently mounted on the plafform or
removably mounted in slots provided on the side edges of the plafform.
15 Alternatively, the covers for protection of the simulated surfaces can be adapted to
act as side shields. Preferably, the covers are formed of a thermoplastic and
preferably are thermoformed, impact-modified, UV resistant ABS.
For use on the practice surface of the plafform or for other golf practice
surfaces, a synthetic grass apparatus has been devised which provides a means for
20 varying the synthetic grass height to thereby simulate variable grass heights. Such
an apparatus can be used to simulate a variety of golf terrains including tee box,
fairway and rough. The apparatus comprises a synthetic grass mat acted upon by
mat height determining means.
The synthetic grass of the apparatus is provided by a mat having
25 bristles of predetermined length mounted on a backing. The bristles are formed of
material having suitable stiffness and durability such as for example nylon and are
secured to the mat backing by suitable means such as by stapling, sewing or
weaving. The length of the bristles extending from the mat are of a length suitable
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when in use to simulate rough conditions, i.e. about 5 and 15 cm and preferably 10
cm.
To support the mat in a stiff position, the backing of the mat is attached
as by gluing to a stiff retaining material such as, for example, metal, wood, plastic
5 or heavy paper board. Alternatively, a stiff retaining material can be fit between the
bristles adjacent the mat backing. In another embodiment, the backing of the matis formed from a stiff material such as, for example, sheet metal or plastic and the
bristles are firmly secured thereto.
The height determining means acts to vary the length of the bristles
10 exposed and extending out from the practice surface and comprises a perforated
upper surface and a driving means. The perforated practice surface has formed
therein a plurality of perforations. To allow for the variation in the length of the
exposed bristles, the mat is placed below the perforated practice surface and the
bristles are inserted through the perforations. The mat height is then varied by15 varying the distance between the mat and the practice surface to thereby increase
or reduce the length of bristles exposed above the practice surface. The distance
between the practice surface and the mat can be varied by driving either the mat or
the practice surface or both. In the preferred embodiment, the practice surface
remains stationary while the mat is driven to vary the exposed bristle height.
The driving action can be provided by any suitable means such as, for
example, a manual lever, an electromechanically driven scissor linkage or screw
drive.
The synthetic grass apparatus is actuated and controlled by any
suitable means such as, for example, manual mechanical drives having hand or foot
control, and electrical actuators hand or foot control. A remote system can also be
used to control the lifting means.
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In an embodiment, a perforated compactible layer, such as sponge or
foam rubber, is provided between the practice surface and the mat backing. In anembodiment the compactible layer is formed of neoprene sheet laminated to 12
gauge cold rolled steel. The perforations of the compactible layer are aligned with
5 the perforations of the practice surface and provide a channel through which the
bristles of the mat can extend towards the practice surface. The compactible layer
acts to maintain the bristles in an upright position and prevents the bristles from
being caught under the practice surface. The compactible layer does not, however,
prevent the movement of the mat and practice surface. The compactible layer
10 material is selected to have excellent memory such that after compression it will
expand to fill the space between the mat and the practice surface.
In another embodiment, the practice surface is covered with a resilient
sheet having perforations which are aligned with the perforations of the practice
surface. The resilient sheet acts to prevent damage of the practice surface during
15 use and additionally prevents shearing of the bristles against the edges of the
perforations of the practice surface.
In an embodiment, a mount for a tee or permanent tee is mounted on
the resilient sheet or the practice surface of the synthetic grass apparatus.
Alternatively, and more preferred, an opening is provided in the synthetic grass20 arrangement for an automatic tee device. Such a device permits the tee to be
retracted below the practice surface when not in use. The device can also permitthe exposed height of the tee to be varied when in use, thereby permitting the
simulation of hill shots in which the golfer's feet are level with the ball.
To facilitate the use of the automatic tee, a ball loading device is
preferably provided. The ball loading device acts to move a supply of balls through
a loading chute to be loaded one ball at a time onto the cup of the tee. Any ball
loading device which can act below the surface of the plafform is suitable for use
with the present invention.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
A further detailed description of the invention, briefly described above,
will follow by reference to the following drawings of specific embodiments of the
invention, which depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore
5 not to be considered limiting of its scope. In the drawings:
FIGURE 1 shows a perspective, partially cut away view of an
embodiment of a golf simulator plafform of the present invention;
FIGURE 2 shows a plan view of an alternate embodiment of a golf
simulator plafform of the present invention;
FIGURE 3 shows a side sectional view of an embodiment of a
synthetic grass apparatus of the present invention; and,
FIGURE 4 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the
invention having a synthetic grass apparatus mounted on a golf plafform.
Detailed Description of the Present Invention
Referring to FIGURE 1, a plafform 10 is shown for supporting a golfer
12 while practising golf shots. The plafform comprises a practice surface 14 andscrew drive arrangement 16 at each corner of the plafform for supporting and lifting
the plafform to cause the plafform to tilt. (Only one of the screw drives is shown.)
Practice surface 14 is formed of fibre board and is covered on a portion
20 of its upper surface with a rubber mat 18. A tee 20 is supported on the practice
surface and is positioned on the surface to allow driving of a ball from the tee. Mat
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surfaces 22 are also provided on the practice surface which simulate various grass
conditions.
Tee and mat surfaces are provided on both sides of the plafform such
that the plafform can be used by le~t and right handed golfers. Protective covers 24,
5 24' are provided which can be placed to overlie the tee and mat surfaces when they
are not in use, as shown by cover 24' on the left side of plafform 10. When the tee
and mat surfaces are in use, as shown at the right side of the plafform, cover 24 can
be moved into an upright position to act as a hand rail and a side shield to prevent
sideways deflection of balls. Covers 24, 24' are moved into an upright position by
10 rotation about pivotal connections 28 and are maintained in such position by
rele~s~hle locks. In an embodiment, pivotal connections are provided by spring
loaded hinge rods which snap the covers into position.
Mat 18 does not extend to cover the edges 26 of the plafform to
provide a warning to golfer 12 when the edge of the plafform has been reached.
15 Edges 26 of the plafform are formed of thermoplastic, such as ABS, and
accommodate structural features of the plafform, such as pivotal connections 28 for
protective covers 24, 24' and a ball hopper 30.
A protective covering 32 is provided about the plafform to prevent injury
by catching a user's clothing or the like in the mechanical systems, such as screw
20 drives 16, disposed beneath practice surface 14. The protective covering is folded
into an accordion arrangement to accommodate changes in the vertical elevation of
the plafform.
Plafform 10 can be tilted, as shown, to simulate up-hill, down hill and
25 side hill shots, by means such as screw drives 16 disposed beneath the practice
surface. The screw drives are preferably controlled by controls 34 mounted on
practice surface 14 which can be used by the golfer by touching with a foot or a
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club. The controls feed signals into a microprocessor, disposed beneath the
plafform which actuates and controls screw drives 16 to produce the desired tilt.
As shown in Figure 2, another embodiment of the plafform is shown
wherein the practice surface has been removed to show the tilting and support
5 mechanism of the plafform. A centrally positioned universal joint 40 acts to allow
tilting of the practice surface, with respect to a base 41 about two axis as defined
by pivotal connections 42, 43, respectively. A pair of electrically driven screw lifts
44 are attached by pivotal connections 46 and 48 to the base and practice surface,
respectively, and drive the tilting of the practice surface as controlled by controls
10 (not shown) on the practice surface. A pair of double acting hydraulic cylinders 50
are attached by pivotal connections 52, 54 between the base and practice surface,
respectively, and act to lock the plafform in tilted position and to prevent backlash
when the screw lifts are activated or inactivated. Hydraulic cylinders 50 are caused
to be locked or unlocked by control of four solenoid valves 55 which regulate the
15 flow of hydraulic fluid via lines 56 between the chambers of hydraulic cylinders 50
and a reservoir 57. A microprocessor 58 coordinates the action of the screw lifts 44
and solenoids 55.
In use, when a suitable signal is fed to the microprocessor from the
controls on the practise surface, the microprocessor actuates the screw lifts to drive
20 the tilting of the practice surface. At the same time, the microprocessor actuates the
solenoid valves which allow the hydraulic fluid to flow under pressure between the
chambers of the hydraulic cylinders as the plafform is tilted. When the controls on
feed a signal to the microprocessor to cease the tilting of the practise surface, the
microprocessor causes the solenoid valves to be disengaged, ceasing the flow of
25 hydraulic fluid. After a short delay, the microprocessor actuates the screw drives to
cease their driving action. Thus, any backlash in the universal joint, between the
practise surface and base is substantially eliminated.
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Referring to Figure 3, a synthetic grass apparatus 60 is shown for use
on golf practice surfaces 61 to simulate conditions such a tee box, fairway and
rough. The apparatus of the preferred embodiment comprises a mat 62 having
bristles 64 stapled to a rubber backing 65. Mat 62 is attached by means of
adhesives to a stiff panel 66, formed of metal, which acts to support mat 62 in a
planar position. Panel 66 is connected to a screw driven scissor lift 68 which acts
to drive panel 66, and thereby mat 62, relative to a perforated practice surface 70.
Lift 68 acts to move bristles 64 through the perforations 72 of the practice surface
70 to increase or decrease the height, indicated as H, of bristles exposed abovepractice surface 70.
To maintain the bristles in an upright position, compactible layer 74 is
provided between mat backing 65 and practice surface 70. Compactible layer 74
formed of material such as neoprene has channels 76 through which bristles 64 can
extend. In addition, to prevent damage to the practice surface and bristles by golf
clubs, a perforated, rubber sheet 78 is placed over the practice surface and is
aligned with the perforations 72 of practice surface 70.
The synthetic grass apparatus can be of use with the plafform of the
present invention. As shown in Figure 4, perforated practice surface 170 of sythetic
grass apparatus 160 is mounted to be substantially co-planar with practice surface
114 of plafform 110 and bristles 164 are exposed above surface 170. The mat
height is controlled by foot pedals 180 mounted on the practice surface 114, which
actuate the screw drive of the apparatus positioned below practice surfaces 114 and
170.
In an embodiment, an opening 182 is provided in the synthetic grass
apparatus through which an automatic tee 184 extends. A device positioned below
practice surface 170 drives the tee between an exposed position above practice
surface 170, as shown, and a retracted position below surface 170. A ball loading
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device (not shown) positioned below practice surfaces 114 and 170 acts to load
balls from ball hopper 130 to tee 184.
It will be apparent that many other changes may be made to the
5 illustrative embodiments, while falling within the scope of the invention and it is
intended that all such changes be covered by the claims appended hereto.
